Handle retaining fixture



May 16, 1944. R, R HART 2,348,902

HANDLE RETAINING FIXTURE Filed May 20', 194i INVENTOR.

Roy R. 16a rt ATTORNEYS Patented May 16, 1944 M nsets v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v 2,348,902 1 a HANDLE RET INING FIXTURE 7 Roy It. Ifiar't, San Jose, Calif. I rslicstien May to, 1941, Serial No. 394,303

7 2 Claims.

This invention relates in general to improvem nt ln an l ta ningfixtures of the type ommonl k own s room h lders. such. as are adapted to engage the handles of household b oms. m ps ta. suspen ed from the dev which is secured to a wall'or other vertical surface some distance above the floor level; this invention in particular comprising improvements over the device shown in my United. States-Let ters Patent No. 1,864,8l7 dated June 28, 19 32 The present invention employs broadly the same principle as the device shown inmy identifl d p te t; namely. th weight cf the oom causes a swinging holding nernber to bind or grip the handle and prevent downward slipping movement thereof. I

In handle retainingfixtures which employ a metallic member to engage the broom handle, the frictional engagement ofv such member with the handle sometimes is not sufficient to positively hold the handle against slipping, particularly where the holding member is of a type adapted to engage handles of different diameters. Further, the metallic member tends to mar and indent the surface of the handle, and the latter becomes rough and unsightly.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a handle retaining fixture which is operative to positively grip handles of different diameters; and to construct the fixture in such manner that the handle is engaged only by resilient gripping material, and without metal contact.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle retaining fixture including a swinging member having a handle receiving aperture open to one side thereof; said member including jaws on opposite sides of such aperture, the outermost jaw being parallel to the axis of such swinging member and to the wall to which the fixture is attached. Such parallelism of the outer jaw assures against lateral displacement of the bandle from the aperture of the swinging member.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device gripping a handle of relatively large diameter.

opposed lugs 8 extendfrom Figure 2 is a plan View of the device gripping a handle of relatively small diameter.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device in use.

Figure 4 is a cross elevation on line i-l of Fig. 2.- a

Referring now'more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the device comprises a wall bracket including a back plate l secured to awall 2 by'suitable means such as screws 3;. such plate extending horizontally and at its ends being formed with forwardly projecting, parallel ears-'3. The ears 4 are formed with horizontally alined openings 5;

The swinging holding member comprises a plate 6 having a: rearward projection 'l which engages between ears l with an easy. f t and the sides of proie tion'l through openings 5, forming the axis about which the plate 6 may swing. Some distance below the horizontal plane of openings 5 the ears l'are formed with stop-shoulders 9, against which the swinging plate 6 is adapted to engage, whereby to limit downward movement of said plate. f The plate 6 is of substantial size, and is formed with an aperture ill, which opens to one side of such plate; the portions of the plate along oppo site sides of such aperture forming what may be termed jaws which are indicated at H and E2 respectively.

The inner or working edge of jaw H is disposed parallel to wall 2 and the axis of the plate, as is indicated by broken line I3. The working edge of the other jaw l2 diverges from the jaw l l in a direction from the closed to the open end of aperture Hi, and at an acute angle to the axis of the swinging plate 6, whereby said aperture I0 decreases in width from its open end to its closed end.

The swinging plate 5, about the edge which borders aperture i0, is formed with a channel M, which opens into the aperture; such channel being of dovetail configuration except at the closed end of aperture l0, where the channel is straight sided, as shown in Fig. 4. A strip l5 of resilient and compressible friction gripping material, such as rubber, is seated in and extends from end to end of channel hi; such strip being of sufficient size to project inwardly a short distance beyond the inner edges of the channel, and as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. The exposed or handle contacting face of strip l5 may be roughened in a suitable manner, as by knurling. It should be noted that such faces of the strip iii are parallel to the corresponding jaws.

The curvature of the plate at the inner end of the aperture and likewise the curvature of the strip H5 at such point are not on a true circle, but are flattened somewhat, as at It.

In use, the plate 6 is held horizontally and the handle H to be retained is disposed vertically and moved laterally into the aperture Ii) until the gripping strip 15 of jaws H and I2 firmly engage the broom handle. Thereupon, the plate and handle are released, and the weight of the handle tends to swing the plate downwardly, immediately eflecting a positive grip or binding action between strip I5 of both jaws and such handle; the handle becoming slightly embedded on opposite sides in the portions of the gripping strip corresponding to the jaws. By virtue of the fact that jaw l l and its gripping strip portion are parallel to the wall 2 and the axis of the plate 6, there is no tendency for the handle to shift laterally and in the direction of the open end of aperture Ill. In addition, it is not possible for the handle to be marred or scratched.

When a handle H of the smallest diameter within the limit of capacity of the device is engaged in aperture IE), it abuts against the bottom of the latter, but does not make full contact due to the non-concentricity or flattening, as at l6, of the end of such aperture and the corresponding portion of the binding strip. By reason of this non-concentricity, by the device, is not urged in the direction of the open end of the aperture when the gripping action takes place, as would tend to take place if the inner end of the aperture were concentric with the handle.

It is to be noted that the strip I 5 is initially of the same cross sectional form as the channel, the sides of the latter being crimped in after the strip is disposed in place. In this manner, the strip cannot escape, yet is not compressed and thus does not have a curved and undesirable bulge on its gripping face which would be formed if the rubber .was compressed by the channel.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device the handle, when gripped as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a handle retaining fixture which includes a bracket adapted to be secured on a wall, and a plate hinged to the bracket for vertical swinging movement and having a handle receiving aperture cut therein lengthwise of the hinge axis and open to one side of the plate; the portions of the plate on opposite sides of said aperture forming handle engaging jaws, the working edge from the axis of the plate being parallel to said axis and to the wall, and the working edge of the jaw nearest said axis diverging relative to said first named jaw from the closed to the open end of said aperture.

2. In a handle retaining fixture which includes a bracket adapted to be secured on a well, and a plate hinged to the bracket for vertical swinging movement and having a handle receiving aperture cut therein lengthwise of the hinge axis and open to one side of the plate; said plate having a continuous, inwardly opening channel bordering said aperture, and a one-piece friction gripping strip fitted in said continuous channel from end to end thereof and extending into the aperture beyond the adjacent edges of said channel, the extending portions of said strip .along opposite sides of said aperture forming handle engaging jaws, and the channel being deformed to dove-tail configuration in cross section and into frictional engagement with the strip along the portions of said strip forming the jaws whereby to secure the strip in said channel.

ROY R. HART. 

